Meeting and Exceeding the Common Core State Standards for

IRA
–SSENTIALS
COMMON CORE IN YOUR CL ASSROOM
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS
Meeting and Exceeding the Common Core
State Standards for Vocabulary
MICHAEL F.
GRAVES
1
GREGORY C.
SALES
TEACHING 50,000
August
WORDS
2013|| August
DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035
2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035
| © 2013 International
| © 2013Reading
International
Association
Reading Association
V
ocabulary instruction has been a central
concern of educators at least since the
time of Edward Lee Thorndike, who
began his long line of research on vocabulary
more than 100 years ago. And rightly so!
Having a substantial vocabulary is clearly
important to students’ success in school
and to their continued success in the world
beyond school. In this article, we describe a
comprehensive vocabulary program that both
meets and exceeds the vocabulary standards
in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS;
National Governors Association Center for
Best Practices [NGA Center] & Council of Chief
State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010). We believe
strongly that this comprehensive program
is sufficiently powerful to assist all children
in building the vocabularies they need.
Before describing the program itself, in this
introductory section we discuss the importance
of vocabulary, the number of words students
learn, and the influence of the CCSS on the
vocabulary learning task students are likely to
face in school.
The Importance of Vocabulary
Myriad facts, such as the following, testify to
the importance of vocabulary:
• Vocabulary knowledge is one of the best
indicators of verbal ability.
• Vocabulary knowledge in kindergarten and
first grade is a significant predictor of reading
comprehension in the middle and secondary
grades.
• Vocabulary difficulty strongly influences the
readability of text.
• Teaching vocabulary can improve reading
comprehension for both native English
speakers and English language learners
(ELLs).
Additionally, vocabulary is identified as
a vital component of reading instruction by
major study groups in the United States such as
the National Reading Panel (National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development,
2000), the RAND Reading Study Group (2002),
and the CCSS (NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010).
2
A particularly vivid portrayal of the plight
faced by children who enter school with
inadequate vocabularies, the cost to society
of failing to help these children build their
vocabularies and succeed in school, and the
financial cost of current approaches to solving
the problem was recently presented in a PBS
report and is available at www.pbs.org/
newshour/bb/education/jan-june11/
readinessgap_04-05.html.
 For additional references on vocabulary,
see Sources Testifying to the Importance of
Vocabulary.
The Number of Words
Students Learn
The Oxford English Dictionary (Simpson
& Weiner, 2009) lists more than 400,000
active words, and achieving students learn a
substantial number of these words. Based on
the work of Nagy and Herman (1987) and a
number of other scholars, our best estimate is
that typical students enter kindergarten with
vocabularies of 5,000–10,000 words and graduate
from high school with vocabularies of something
like 50,000 words. This means that students are
learning approximately 10 words a day.
 For additional references on vocabulary
size, see Sources on the Size of Students’
Vocabularies.
The Influence of the Common Core
State Standards
Today’s students learn a very substantial
number of words. But tomorrow’s students,
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Core State Standards available at www.reading
.org/general/aboutira/white-papers.aspx.
A Comprehensive Program to Help
Students Meet the Standards
those in schools attempting to meet the CCSS,
will face an even more challenging task.
The Standards call for students to read more
complex and challenging texts. They also
call for students to read more informational
texts, texts that contain vocabulary challenges
different from those in the narrative texts
that now predominate in schools (Hiebert
& Cervetti, 2012). Moreover, they call for all
students, not just some students as is the case
today, to read challenging texts and deal with
the challenging vocabulary those texts contain.
In addition to the call for more challenging
text and more informational texts, the
Standards put a great deal of emphasis directly
on vocabulary. A sampling of the more
important CCSS vocabulary standards includes
the following:
• Acquiring and using accurately gradeappropriate general academic and domainspecific words and phrases
• Understanding and dealing with nuances and
connotations of words
• Mastering word learning strategies such as
the use of context and word parts
• Mastering and dealing with vocabulary in
reading, writing, speaking, and listening
• Mastering and dealing with vocabulary in
history/social studies, science, and technical
subjects as well as in English language arts
For further information on the place of
vocabulary in the CCSS, see the video available
at engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-elaliteracy-shift-6-academic-vocabulary/ and the
International Reading Association’s Literacy
Implementation Guidance for the ELA Common
3
A vocabulary program that can assist students
in meeting the high standards set in the CCSS
must be a powerful one. More specifically, such
a program must be multifaceted, long term,
and implemented throughout the curriculum.
Over the past two decades, Michael, the first
author, has worked to describe such a program.
It contains four components:
• Teaching individual words
• Teaching word learning strategies
• Providing rich and varied language
experiences
• Fostering word consciousness
The program is described in the following
four books and in a number of shorter writings:
The Vocabulary Book: Learning & Instruction
(Graves, 2006), Teaching Individual Words: One
Size Does Not Fit All (Graves, 2009b), Essential
Readings on Vocabulary Instruction (Graves,
2009a), and Teaching Vocabulary to English
Language Learners (Graves, August, & MancillaMartinez, 2012). Additionally, Blachowicz,
Baumann, Manyak, and Graves (2013)
describe an Institute of Education Sciences–
supported R & D program that follows the
four-part framework in another IRA E-ssentials
article entitled Flood, Fast, Focus: Integrated
Vocabulary Instruction in the Classroom.
In the remainder of this article, we briefly
describe each of the four parts of the program.
 For a list of additional sources on the fourpart program, see Others Who Have Made Use
of the Four-Part Program.
Teaching Individual Words
This aspect of vocabulary receives the greatest
emphasis in the Standards. In discussing
how to teach individual words, we consider
characteristics of effective instruction and
three levels or intensities of instruction—
rich and powerful instruction, introductory
instruction, and repetition and review.
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Characteristics of Effective Instruction
Thanks to the insights of vocabulary scholars
whose work was done decades ago (for
example, Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986) to that of
contemporary scholars (for example, Beck,
McKeown, & Kucan, 2013), we absolutely
know how to most effectively teach individual
words. The following shows components of
increasingly powerful vocabulary instruction:
3. A
sk students to construct a picture, symbol,
or graphic representing the term and to add
these to their notebooks.
4. E
ngage students periodically in activities
that help them add to their knowledge of the
terms in their notebooks.
5. Ask students periodically to discuss the terms
recorded in their notebooks with one another.
• I nstruction that involves both definitions and
the words in context is markedly stronger than
instruction that involves only one of these.
• Instruction that also involves activating prior
knowledge and comparing and contrasting
meanings is stronger still.
• Even more robust instruction that also
involves students in actively manipulating
meanings, making inferences, searching for
applications, and frequent encounters with
the words and is still stronger.
Thus, if you want the strongest possible
vocabulary instruction, you should design
instruction that contains all of these elements.
Unfortunately, instruction that contains all of
these elements is extremely time-consuming.
Beck, Perfetti, and McKeown (1982), for
example, devoted approximately 20 minutes
of instruction to each word they taught. Given
the huge number of words students need to
learn, we cannot use the strongest possible
instruction with all of the words we teach.
Rich and Powerful Instruction
As noted, some words deserve rich and
powerful instruction, but because of
the time such instruction demands, you
probably can only afford to use it with
something like the 100–200 most important
words you are teaching in a given year.
Marzano’s (2004) six-step procedure is one
sturdy approach:
1. P
rovide a description, explanation, or
example of the new term.
2. A
sk students to restate the description,
explanation, or example in their own
words or make personal observations
and record these in notebooks.
4
6. I nvolve students periodically in games that
allow them to play with the terms in their
notebooks.
 For an example of Marzano’s instruction,
see this PowerPoint presentation on Marzano’s
Six-Step Procedure.
Semantic mapping is another rich and
powerful approach. This tried-and-true method
is described at length in an IRA monograph
(Heimlich & Pittelman, 1986) and has been
successfully used by teachers for a number of
years. See Figure 1 for an example of semantic
mapping using the word trees. The following
outlines a process for semantic mapping:
1. P
ut a word representing a central concept on
the chalkboard, overhead, or LCD.
2. A
sk students to work in groups, listing as
many words related to the central concept as
they can.
Figure 1. Semantic Map for the Word Trees
Conifers
pine
fir
redwood
spruce
Deciduous
maples
oaks
elms
sycamore
Conifers
pine
fir
redwood
spruce
Trees
Flowering Trees
magnolia
flowering crabapple
dogwood
cherry
Potential Benefits
provide shade
reduces ozone
give off oxygen
are pretty
something to climb
place for tree houses
place for wildlife
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Potential Problems
diseases
insects
mildew
rot
drought
3. W
rite students’ words on the chalkboard,
overhead, or LCD, grouped in broad categories.
4. H
ave students name the categories and
perhaps suggest additional ones.
5. D
iscuss with students the central concept,
the other words, the categories, and their
interrelationships.
 For a description of robust instruction, see
Robust Instruction—Another Approach to Rich
and Powerful Instruction.
Introductory Instruction
For words other than the most important 100–
200 that you teach, you are going to have to use
less time-consuming procedures. The use of a
definition, context, and a picture (Graves, 2006)
is one example of such instruction. In Figure 2,
we illustrate how students might be introduced
to the term solar system using this method of
instruction.
The brief explanation approach used by
Baumann, Blachowicz, Manyak, Graves, and
Olejnik (2009–2012) is another introductory
method. With this method, the teacher briefly
interrupts as she or a student reads a passage
orally and provides a synonym or brief
definition and a context. For example, in the
following scenario, the class is reading an
excerpt from Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue
Dolphins and the teacher decides to give a brief
explanation of the word befall:
A student reads the following text from Island:
“I must say that whatever might befall me on the
endless waters did not trouble me.” The teacher
says, “Befall means ‘to happen’ or ‘take place.’ For
example, we might say, ‘Peng didn’t know what
would befall him when he entered the dark cave.’
Or we could say, ‘Peng didn’t know what would
happen to him when he entered the dark cave.’”
 For additional approaches to introductory
instruction, see this PowerPoint presentation
on Introductory Instruction.
Repetition and Review
No matter how well you initially teach a
word, if students are going to have the word
as a permanent part of their vocabularies,
repetition and review are crucial. Connect
Two (Blachowicz, 1986) is a good example of
a rehearsal technique. You first display two
columns of words you have taught and want to
review and then ask students to pick one word
from each column and identify a relationship
between the two (see Figure 3).
Considering what is perhaps the easiest pair
first, one student might observe that you might
find a bayonet on the end or a musket. Another
student, one wishing to make a political
comment, might suggest that the investment
banker currently under indictment was exposed
for the cunning thief he actually was.
 For additional approaches to repetition and
review see this PowerPoint presentation on
Repetion and Review.
Teaching Word Learning Strategies
The use of word learning strategies is another
approach to vocabulary instruction emphasized
in the Standards. No matter how diligent you are
Figure 2. Introductory Instruction of the Term Solar System
5
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Figure 3. Connect Two
bayonet disgrace muffled exposed insignificant splendid roll hoarse
exuberant
cunning
pondered
ruefully
courier
musket
in teaching individual words, you will teach only
a small fraction of the 3,000 or so words students
must learn each year. Thus, developing students’
word learning strategies—their proficiency at
learning words on their own—is crucial. More
specifically, all students need to learn to use
word parts and context, as well as the dictionary
and other reference tools to unlock the meanings
of unknown words. Further, Spanish-speaking
ELLs need to learn to make use of cognates, and
all ELLs need to learn to deal with idioms.
It is also important to consider when to teach
word learning strategies. The CCSS indicate
that some work on context and word parts
should begin in grades 1 and 2, and we would
certainly include some work in those grades.
However, at these grade levels, we would keep
the instruction rather casual, informal, and
brief. Beginning in grade 3, we would begin
more formal instruction and teach all of the
strategies. In an ideal world, initial instruction
in word learning strategies would be concluded
by grade 5. However, if older students have
not had quality instruction in word learning
strategies by grade 5, we need to provide it for
them, regardless of their grade level.
As a basic instructional approach to
teaching word learning strategies, we
recommend direct explanation (Duke, Pearson,
Strachan, & Billman, 2011). This widely
researched approach involves the following:
• A n explicit description of the strategy and
when and how it should be used
• Teacher and/or student modeling of the
strategy in action
• Collaborative use of the strategy in action
• Guided practice using the strategy with
gradual release of responsibility
• Independent use of the strategy
6
Effective as it is, direct instruction can be a bit
brittle when used by itself. Thus, we suggest
tempering it with more constructivist elements
(Pressley, Harris, & Marks, 1992):
• Giving students opportunities to construct
knowledge
• Explaining and discussing the value of
strategies
• Working continually on transfer
 For a description of the components of
instruction that combines direct explanation
and more constructivist approaches, see
Characteristics of Instruction That Combines
Direct Explanation and More Constructive
Approaches.
Over the past several years, we have
been working on a federally funded project
developing and testing a program to teach
word learning strategies to 4th- and 5th-grade
students (Graves, Sales, & Ruda, 2012). A
description of the project and the results is
available at www.wordlearningstrategies.com.
Besides yielding formal results, the project
yielded a good deal of informal information
and led us to developing some guidelines for
strategy instruction. The absolute necessity of
motivation is one of the most important.
Gradually increasing the complexity of the
task is another useful lesson we learned (see
Figure 4).
 For additional lessons we learned, see
this PowerPoint presentation on Additional
Guidelines for Teaching Word Learning
Strategies.
Providing Rich and Varied Language
Experiences
Providing rich and varied language experiences
is not something directly discussed in the
Standards, but it is an essential part of a
comprehensive vocabulary program. If
children are to develop the richest and fullest
vocabularies possible, the sort of broad and
deep word knowledge envisioned in the
CCSS, they need to be in the richest possible
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
The Role of Motivation
Make motivation a prime concern. Students seldom come to school excited about learning to use
context or word parts to figure out the meanings of unknown words. Thus, motivation is absolutely
in order. Sometimes, we resort to extrinsic motivation. For example, we include three superheroes
that act as guides for students. One superhero represents context clues, one represents word parts,
and one represents the dictionary. We include representations of these superheroes in student
materials and in colorful posters such as this one.
At other times, we are able
to use more intrinsic motivation.
For example, we begin a unit
on teaching context with slides
illustrating how context, in this
case visual context, supports
inferences. In doing so, we present
the slides in the margin one at a
time, preceding the slides with
the question “Where am I?” and
asking students not to shout out
the answer but to jot down their
response in a notebook once they
have made the inference.
After showing the slides and
after students have identified the
destination—which is, of course,
Hawaii—we discuss with the class the clues in the pictures, how students were able to use the
clues to make an inference about the destination, and the fact that the process or inferring word
meanings from verbal context is similar in many ways.
Experiences for All Students
All students need to be continually immersed
in a word-rich environment. This means
having lots of books and other reading
material, invitingly displayed, on various
topics, at various
reading levels. It also
Gradually
Increase Increasing
the Complexity
of the Task
Figure 4. Gradually
the Complexity
of the Task
means having words
prominently displayed
on a word wall, at other
With word parts, you might move from
points around the
Inflections
Prefixes
Derivational Suffixes
Non-English Roots
room, on the teacher’s
desks, on word cards,
With cognates, you might move from
in the library, in the
English and Spanish words spelled identically: animal/animal
halls, and even at
Spanish word differs by adding a single letter: experiment/experimento
home. And it means
creating a nurturing
Spanish word differs in that more than one letter is changed: activity/actividad
environment in which
Spanish word differs at both the beginning and the end: student/estudiante
children are encouraged
With texts, you might move from
to experiment with new
words and language
Word Parts Words
Sentences
Paragraphs
Complete Texts
without fear of criticism
or embarrassment.
word learning environment. The language
experiences children need include both
experiences for all students and supplementary
experiences for students who arrive at school
with very small vocabularies.
7
Mike Graves, Univ of Minn 1 TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Experiences for Students With Very Small
Vocabularies
Students who arrive at school with very
small vocabularies certainly need all of the
aforementioned experiences. Additionally, they
need experiences that will accelerate their word
learning so that they can catch up with their
peers. The most thoroughly researched approach
to increasing the vocabularies of young children
with very small vocabularies is one that is often
called shared book reading, which generally
includes the following characteristics:
• It involves several readings of a number of
short selections
• It focuses students’ attention on words
• It deliberately stretches students’ thinking
and scaffolds their efforts
• It employs carefully selected words and books
Recently, we developed an individualized,
web-based version of the approach to
teach grades 1–4 students with very small
vocabularies the first 4,000 most frequent
English words (Graves & Sales, 2008; Sales &
Graves, 2008). These words make up about
80% of the words in a typical text and an even
larger percentage of the words in a text for
beginning readers.
The following four panels of Figure 5 show
an excerpt from James Giblin’s Charles A.
Lindberg: A Human Hero, a biography written
for upper elementary students, and the words
a student would know if he or she knew 500,
1,000, 2,000, or all of the 4,000 words.
As can be seen from the four panels, with
some help from the teacher and context,
students who know all 4,000 words are in a
position to understand the text, while students
Figure 5. Four Panels Identifying Words Students Would Know
Using Charles A. Lindberg: A Human Hero (Giblin, 1997)
Knowing only the 500 most frequent words, a
student could read only the words shown here.
Knowing the 1,000 most frequent words, a
student could read only the words shown here.
Could it be an ______? The year before, ______ had seen one
for the first time when his mother took him to a ______ ______
in ______, ______ ______. He had ______, ______, as the
______ a ______ by ______ on the ______ of a ______ that
was ______ on the ______. Now ______ an ______ was right
here in ______, and about to ______ over his house. Not ______ to
______ a thing, ______ the ______ and ______ up the ______
of the house to its ______. From there he had a good ______ of the
______, ______ the ______ place. And in the ______, ______
ever______, he saw the ______.
Could it be an ______? The year before, ______ had seen one
for the first time when his mother took him to a ______ in ______,
______. He had watched, ______, as the ______ gave a ______
by ______ on the ______ of a ______ that was ______ on the
ground. Now maybe an ______ was right here in ______, and
about to ______ over his house. Not ______ to ______ a thing,
______ opened the window and ______ up the ______ of the house
to its ______. From there he had a good view of the ______ River,
______ past the ______ place. And in the sky, coming ever ______,
he saw the ______.
Knowing the 2,000 most frequent words, a
student could read only the words shown here.
Knowing the 4,000 most frequent words, a
student could read all the words shown here
except those italicized.
Could it be an airplane? The year before, Charles had seen one for the
first time when his mother took him to a flying ______ in ______,
Virginia. He had watched, ______, as the ______ gave a ______
by ______ oranges on the ______ of a ______ that was ______
on the ground. Now maybe an airplane was right here in ______, and
about to fly over his house. Not ______ to ______a thing, Charles
opened the window and climbed up the ______ roof of the house to
its ______. From there he had a good view of the ______ River,
______ past the ______ place. And in the sky, coming ever closer, he
saw the plane.
8
Could it be an airplane? The year before, Charles had seen one for the first
time when his mother took him to a flying exhibition in Fort Myer, Virginia.
He had watched, enthralled, as the pilot gave a bombing demonstration by
dropping oranges on the outline of a battleship that was traced on the ground.
Now maybe an airplane was right here in Minnesota, and about to fly over his
house. Not wanting to miss a thing, Charles opened the window and climbed
up the sloping roof of the house to its peak. From there he had a good view of
the Mississippi River, flowing languidly past the Lindbergh place. And in the sky,
coming ever closer, he saw the plane (p. 3).
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
who do not know all 4,000 words are much less
likely to understand it.
The online program we developed to teach
these 4,000 essential words uses a multimedia
system to diagnose individual students’
knowledge of the most frequent words and
begins teaching unknown words at the level at
which the student knows about 90% of them.
The words are ordered by frequency, from the
most frequent ones (e.g., little, even, good, long),
to middle frequency ones (e.g., file, boots, reflect,
custom), to the least frequent ones (e.g., abuse,
generous, excessive, arteries). Figure 6 shows
panels of a preassessment item (the student
hears the word knee and clicks the appropriate
picture), the Cozy Cave (the setting where the
reading takes place), and one of several games
that provide practice on the words taught (in
this case, knee).
A full description of the program, the words
themselves, and a demo are available at www
.thefirst4000words.com.
 For brief descriptions of some other shared
book reading programs available, see Other
Shared Book Reading Programs.
Fostering Word Consciousness
Fostering word consciousness is another part of a
comprehensive vocabulary program not directly
considered in the Standards. It is, however,
another part of a curriculum that helps children
build really strong vocabularies, vocabularies
that enable them to understand and deal with
“nuances and connotations of words” (NGA
Center & CCSSO, 2010). If students are to become
sensitive to nuances and connotations of words
and develop the most powerful vocabularies
possible, they need to become interested and
intrigued by words. The term word consciousness
refers to an awareness of and interest in words
and their meanings (Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2002).
Word consciousness integrates metacognition
about words, motivation to learn words, and deep
and lasting interest in words.
Although fostering word consciousness
differs from grade to grade, doing so is vital
at all grade levels because only if students
are interested in and excited about words are
they likely to achieve the very substantial
9
Figure 6. Screens From
The First 4,000 Words
Treehouse Preassessment
Cozy Cave Reading Room
Vocabulary Game
vocabularies the need. Fortunately, although
there are some time-consuming word
consciousness activities, for the most part
fostering word consciousness does not take a
lot of your time or your students’ time. Susan
Watts-Taffe and one of us (Graves & WattsTaffe, 2008) have discussed six types of word
consciousness activities. We briefly describe
these six types in the following sections.
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Creating a Word-Rich Environment
A word-rich environment is one in which
words and books are prominently displayed
and students are invited and encouraged
to read widely in a variety of narrative and
informational texts. Importantly, the books
available in the classroom should span a range
of difficulties. A second-grade classroom, for
example, might include Arnold Lobels’s Frog
and Toad Together, James Marshall’s George and
Martha, Lisa Lunge-Larsen’s The Race of the
Birkebeiners, and Peter Sís’s The Wall: Growing
Up Behind the Iron Curtain.
Recognizing and Promoting Adept Diction
The goal here is to heighten students’ interest
in words by using some sophisticated words
yourself, pointing out adept word choices
authors make, and recognizing adept word
choices kids make. Humane and enterprise are
examples of sophisticated words you might
use with 4th and 5th graders. Sequestered and
daunting might be pointed out as sophisticated
word choices used by authors of middle-grade
material. And you would certainly want to
compliment the first grader who announces
that she heard a train rumbling through town
on the way to school.
Promoting Word Play
Anything you can do to get students actively
playing with words is likely to prove fruitful.
Word play might involve rhymes, puns,
riddles, homophones, synonyms, antonyms,
crosswords, and hink pinks. Here, for
example, is a homophone teaser taken from
Richard Lederer’s (1996) Pun and Games:
Jokes, Riddles, Daffynitions, Tairy Fales,
Rhymes, and More Word Play for Kids, an
excellent resource:
In the blanks below, insert a word that means
the same as the words before and after. The
number of dashes indicates the number of letters
in the missing word.
Spinning Toy ___
Student _ _ _ _ _
Deep Hole
___
Even Contest ___
King and Queen _ _ _ _ _
10
Summit
Part of the Eye
Fruit Stone
Neckware
Measuring Stick
Fostering Word
Consciousness Through
Writing
Writing is an
extremely powerful
context for fostering
word consciousness
because writing is
relatively permanent,
not fleeting like
speech. When
students revise
and polish their
writing, they have an excellent and authentic
opportunity to consider word choices. For
example, if a student is describing something
that is not small, you might suggest the options
big, large, huge, gigantic, enormous, gargantuan,
and any other “large” or “very large” words
students suggest and discuss with the class
whether there are any differences in the
meanings of these words and in what situation
they might choose one over another.
One very useful tool for fostering word
consciousness in writing is a checklist like
the following one, which gives students a
procedure for considering the word choices in
their writing.
• Is this the best word to get across my
meaning?
• Is the word precise?
• Is it a word whoever reads my writing will
know?
• Is it a word whoever reads my writing will
find interesting?
• Have I used the word too much? Should I use
a synonym?
• Is the word appropriately formal or
informal?
Involving Students in Original Investigations
Because words surround us both in the
classroom and in our everyday lives, they
serve as an easily accessed object of study.
Elementary or middle grade students, for
example, might enjoy studying the many
names family members use in referring to
each other. One of us (Michael), for example, is
somewhat unfortunately called “Big Pa” by his
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
grandchildren (a somewhat derisive term that
he suspects was coined by a certain son-in-law).
Students can collect and then share the terms
they use in referring to their brothers, sisters,
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives
and caregivers. As students share their terms,
you can celebrate the variety of terms turned
in, note that the diversity of terms reflects the
diversity of our culture, and perhaps share
some of the terms you or people you know use
for their family members.
Teaching Students About Words
The last category of word consciousness
activities is somewhat different from the others
in that it is more academic and formal. Gaining
some knowledge about words as a part of
becoming word consciousness was suggested
by Nagy and Scott (2000) and seems well
worthwhile.
For example, it is important for students to
realize that many words have more than one
meaning, and that as a consequence when they
look up a word in the dictionary they need to
consider the context in which they encountered
the word. As another example, it is worth
students’ deliberately recognizing that words
affect people differently and are differentially
appropriate in different contexts. There are
some words that are perhaps acceptable to use
on the playground but that have no place in the
classroom or a formal essay.
This has been a brief discussion of word
consciousness, and there is a lot more that
could be said.
 For a detailed PowerPoint presentation on
the topic, see Fostering Word Consciousness in
K–5 Classrooms.
Where to Go From Here
Where you go from here depends on whether
you have sufficient information for your
purposes, want to know more about the fourpart program, or want to get other perspectives
on vocabulary instruction. If you are satisfied
with the information you have, then the
first place to go is to wherever you do your
planning, and the second place to go is to your
classroom to implement a comprehensive
vocabulary program that can assist your
students in learning the 50,000 words they
need to meet and exceed the Common Core
State Standards and succeed in school.
As you consider planning, one thing to keep
in mind is that the broader the agreement
among the teachers in your school—even
better, the broader the agreement in your
district—the stronger your vocabulary program
will be. Tasks such as deciding which words to
teach when and deciding which word learning
strategies to teach when become much more
meaningful when there is coordination across
teachers, grades, and schools.
 If you want to learn more about the fourpart program, see Additional Sources of
Information on the Four-Part Vocabulary
Program. If you want to know more about
vocabulary instruction in general, see Three
Useful Books on Vocabulary Instruction.
Note
Research and development of two of the
programs described (The First 4,000 Words and
Word Learning Strategies) in the article were
funded by the U.S. Department of Education,
Institue of Education Sciences.
References
Baumann, J.F., Blachowicz, C.L.Z., Manyak, P.C., Graves,
M.F., & Olejnik, S. (2009–2012). Development of a
multi-faceted, comprehensive, vocabulary instructional
program for the upper-elementary grades [R305A090163].
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education
Sciences, National Center for Education Research
(Reading and Writing Program).
Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing
words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction (2nd ed.). New
York, NY: Guilford.
Beck, I.L., Perfetti, C.A., & McKeown, M.G. (1982). Effects of
long-term vocabulary instruction on lexical access and
11
reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology,
74(4), 506–521.
Blachowicz, C.L.Z. (1986). Making connections: Alternatives
to the vocabulary notebook. Journal of Reading, 29(7),
643–649.
Blachowicz, C.L.Z., Baumann, J.F., Manyak, P.C., & Graves,
M.F. (2013). “Flood, fast, focus”: Integrated vocabulary
instruction in the classroom [IRA E-ssentials series].
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8027
Duke, N.D., Pearson, P.D., Strachan, S.L., & Billman, A.K.
(2011). Essential elements of fostering and teaching
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
reading comprehension. In S.J. Samuels, & A.E. Farstrup
(Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction
(4th ed., pp. 51–93). Newark, DE: International Reading
Association.
Graves, M.F. (2006). The vocabulary book: Learning &
instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press;
Newark, DE: International Reading Association; Urbana,
IL: NCTE.
Graves, M.F. (Ed.). (2009a). Essential readings on vocabulary
instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading
Association.
Graves, M.F. (2009b). Teaching individual words: One size does
not fit all. New York, NY: Teachers College Press; Newark,
DE: International Reading Association.
Graves, M.F., August, D., & Mancilla-Martinez, J. (2012).
Teaching vocabulary to English language learners. New
York, NY: Teachers College Press; Washington, DC:
Center for Applied Linguistics; Newark, DE: International
Reading Association; Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English
to Speakers of Other Languages.
Graves, M.F., & Sales, G.C. (2008). The first 4,000 words.
Minneapolis, MN: Seward.
Graves, M.F., Sales, G.C., & Ruda, M.A. (2012). Word learning
strategies: Power to unlock word meaning. Minneapolis, MN:
Seward.
Graves, M.F., & Watts-Taffe, S.M. (2002). The place of word
consciousness in a research-based vocabulary program.
In S.J. Samuels & A.E. Farstrup (Eds.), What research
has to say about reading instruction (3rd ed., pp. 140–165).
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Graves, M.F., & Watts-Taffe, S.M. (2008). For the love of
words: Fostering word consciousness in young readers.
The Reading Teacher, 62(3), 185–193.
Heimlich, J.E., & Pittelman, S.D. (1986). Semantic mapping:
Classroom applications. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association.
Hiebert, E.H., & Cervetti, G. N. (2012). What differences in
narrative and informational texts mean for the learning
and instruction of vocabulary. In E.B. Kame’enui &
J.F. Baumann (Eds.), Vocabulary instruction: Research to
practice (2nd ed., pp. 322–344). New York, NY: Guilford.
Lederer, R. (1996). Pun and games: Jokes, riddles, daffynitions,
tairy fales, rhymes, and more word play for kids. Chicago,
IL: Chicago Review.
Marzano, R.J. (2004). Building background knowledge for
academic achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Nagy, W.E., & Herman, P.A. (1987). Breadth and depth of
vocabulary knowledge: Implications for acquisition and
instruction. In M.C. McKeown & M.E. Curtis (Eds.), The
nature of vocabulary acquisition (pp. 19–35). Hillsdale, NJ:
Erlbaum.
Nagy, W.E., & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary processes. In
M. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.),
Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 269–284). New
York, NY: Longman.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
(2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching
children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the
scientific research literature on reading and its implications
for reading instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769).
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices &
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common
Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy
in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.
Washington, DC: Authors.
Pressley, M., Harris, K.R., & Marks, M.B. (1992). But good
strategy instructors are constructivists! Educational
Psychology Review, 4, 3–31.
RAND Reading Study Group. (2002). Reading for
understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading
comprehension. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
Sales, G.C., & Graves, M.F. (2008). Web-based pedagogy
for fostering literacy by teaching basic vocabulary.
Information Technology, Education and Society, 9(2), 5–30.
Simpson, J., & Weiner, E. (2009). The Oxford English
dictionary. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Stahl, S.A., & Fairbanks, M.M. (1986). The effects of
vocabulary instruction: A model-based meta-analysis.
Review of Educational Research, 56(1), 72–110.
Children’s Literature Cited
Giblin, J.C. (1997). Charles A. Lindberg: A human hero. New
York, NY: Clarion.
O’Dell, S. (1960). Island of the blue dolphins. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Michael F. Graves is Professor
Emeritus of Literacy Education at
the University of Minnesota and
a member of the Reading Hall
of Fame. His research and writing focus on
vocabulary learning and instruction. He can be
contacted at [email protected].
Gregory C. Sales is the CEO of
Seward Inc. and a former associate
professor of instructional design at
the University of Minnesota. He can
be contacted at [email protected].
IRA E-ssentials © 2013 International Reading Association
ISSN 2326-7216 (online) | No. 8035
All rights reserved. This downloadable PDF is intended for use by the purchaser only. Your download allows
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For more information about IRA E-ssentials and for submission guidelines, e-mail [email protected].
12
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Sources Testifying to the Importance of Vocabulary
Vocabulary as a Predictor of Verbal Ability
Vocabulary Strongly Influencing Verbal Ability
Sternberg, R.J. (1987). Most vocabulary is learned
from context. In M.G. McKeown & M.E. Curtis
(Eds.), The nature of vocabulary acquisition (pp.
89–105). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Terman, L M. (1916). The measurement of intelligence.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Chall, J.S., & Dale, E. (1995). Readability revisited: The
new Dale-Chall readability formula. Cambridge, MA:
Brookline.
Klare, G.R. (1984). Readability. In P.D. Pearson, R.
Barr, M.L. Kamil, & P. Mosenthal (Eds.), Handbook
of reading research (pp. 681–794). New York, NY:
Longman.
Vocabulary as a Predictor of Reading
Comprehension
Cunningham, A.E., & Stanovich, K.E. (1997). Early
reading acquisition and its relation to reading
experience and ability 10 years later. Developmental
Psychology, 33(6), 934–945.
Scarborough, H.S. (1998). Early identification
of children at risk for reading disabilities:
Phonological awareness and some other promising
predictors. In B.K. Shapiro, P.J. Accardo, & A.J.
Capute (Eds.), Specific reading disability: A review of
the spectrum (pp. 75–119). Timonium, MD: York.
Teaching Vocabulary Improving Comprehension
Beck, I.L., Perfetti, C.A., & McKeown, M.G. (1982).
Effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on
lexical access and reading comprehension. Journal
of Educational Psychology, 74(4), 506–521.
Carlo, M.S., August, D., McLaughlin, B., Snow, C.E.,
Dressler, C., Lippman, D.N., … White, C.E. (2004).
Closing the gap: Addressing the vocabulary needs
of English-language learners in bilingual and
mainstream classes. Reading Research Quarterly,
39(2), 188–215.
Sources on the Size of Students’ Vocabularies
Anderson, R.C., & Nagy, W.E. (1992, Winter). The
vocabulary conundrum. American Educator, 14–18,
44–47.
Anglin, J.M. (1993). Vocabulary development: A
morphological analysis. Monographs of the Society for
Research in Child Development, 58(10, Serial No. 238).
Miller, G.A., & Wakefield, P.C. (1993). On Anglin’s
analysis of vocabulary growth [Commentary].
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child
Development, 58(10), 167–175.
Nagy, W.E., & Anderson, R.C. (1984). How many
words are there in printed school English? Reading
Research Quarterly, 19(3), 304–330.
White, T.G., Graves, M.F. & Slater, W.H. (1990). Growth
of reading vocabulary in diverse elementary
schools: Decoding and word meaning. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 82(2), 281–290.
Others Who Have Made Use of the Four-Part Program
Baumann and Kame’enui (2004), Blachowicz,
Fisher, Ogle, and Watts-Taffe (2006), Kame’enui and
Baumann (2012), and Stahl and Nagy (2006) use
similar frameworks. Baumann, Ware, and Edwards
(2007) validated the program in a small-scale study.
It served as the framework for a multifaceted study
completed by August and Snow (2008–2012) and
was validated in a substantial study by Baumann et
al. (2009–2012).
August, D., & Snow, C. (2008–2012). Vocabulary
instruction and assessment for Spanish speakers.
Research project funded by the National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development in the
Institute of Education Sciences.
Baumann, J.F., Blachowicz, C.L.Z., & Manyak, P.C.,
Graves, M.F., & Olejnik, S. (2009–2012) Development
of a multi-faceted, comprehensive, vocabulary
instructional program for the upper-elementary
13
grades. Research project funded by the Institute of
Education Sciences.
Baumann, J.F., & Kame’enui, E.J. (2004). Vocabulary:
The plot of the reading story. In J.F. Baumann
& E.J. Kame’enui (Eds.), Vocabulary instruction:
Research to practice (pp. 3–10). New York, NY:
Guilford.
Baumann, J.F., Ware, D., & Edwards, E.C. (2007).
Bumping into spicy, tasty words that catch your
tongue: A formative experiment on vocabulary
instruction. The Reading Teacher, 61(2), 108–122.
Blachowicz, C.L.Z., Fisher, P. J.L., Ogle, D., & WattsTaffe, S. (2006). Vocabulary: Questions from
the classroom. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(4),
524–539.
Kame’enui, E.B., & Baumann, J.F. (Eds.). (2012).
Vocabulary instruction: Research to practice (2nd ed.).
New York, NY: Guilford.
Stahl, S.A., & Nagy, W.E. (2006). Teaching word
meanings. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Robust Instruction—Another Approach to Rich and Powerful
Instruction
Robust Instruction is a powerful procedure that
has been developed and investigated by Beck and
McKeown and their colleagues over time (for
example, Beck, Perfetti, & McKeown, 1982; Beck &
McKeown, 2007) and that is described in detail in
Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2002, 2008). Robust
Instruction is designed to give students deep and
lasting understanding of word meanings and is
particularly appropriate and effective when used
with interesting and somewhat intriguing words
such as banter, retort, glum, berate, and impatient.
Here is a version that can be used in a number of
situations. For the sake of simplicity, this example
deals with a single word—ambitious. Often,
however, Robust Instruction is used to teach a set of
words over a period of a week or so.
1. Begin with a student-friendly definition.
• ambitious—really wanting to succeed at
something
2. A
rrange for students to work with the word
several times. One encounter with a word is very
unlikely to leave students with a rich and lasting
understanding of its meaning.
3. Provide the word in more than one context so
that students’ understanding is not limited to one
situation. The several contexts need not come at
the same time.
• Susan’s ambition to become an Olympic high
jumper was so strong that she was willing to
practice six hours a day.
• Rupert had never been an ambitious person, and
after his accident he did little other than watch
television.
4. Engage students in activities in which they need
to deal with various facets of the word’s meaning
and in investigating relationships between the
target word and other words.
• Would you like to have a really ambitious person
as a friend? Why or why not?
• W hich of the following better demonstrates
ambition? (1) A stock broker gets up every day
14
and goes to work. (2) A stock broker stays late
at work every day, trying to close as many deals
as possible before leaving.
• How likely is it that an ambitious person would
be lethargic? How likely is it that an ambitious
person would be energetic? Explain your
answers.
5. Have students create uses for the words.
• Tell me about a friend that you see as very
ambitious. What are some of the things she does
that show how ambitious she is?
6. Encourage students to use the word outside of
class.
• Come to class tomorrow prepared to talk
about someone who appears to be ambitious.
This could be a stranger you happen to notice
outside of class, someone in your family,
someone you read about, or someone you see
on television.
Robust Instruction will create deep and lasting
understanding of words. Robust Instruction takes
a great deal of time, certainly more time than you
can spend on most words you teach. You will need
to decide which words merit its use.
Beck, I.L., & McKeown, M.G. (2007). Increasing young
low-income children’s oral vocabulary repertoires
through rich and focused instruction. Elementary
School Journal, 107(3), 251–271.
Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2002).
Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction.
New York, NY: Guilford.
Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2008).
Creating robust vocabulary: Frequently asked
questions and extended examples. New York, NY:
Guilford.
Beck, I.L., Perfetti, C.A., & McKeown, M G. (1982).
Effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on
lexical access and reading comprehension. Journal
of Educational Psychology, 74(4), 506–521.
Graves, M.F. (2009). Teaching individual words:
One size does not fit all. New York, NY: Teachers
College Press; Newark, DE: International Reading
Association.
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Characteristics of Instruction That Combines Direct Explanation
and More Constructive Approaches
• Motivate students to use the strategy, explaining
and discussing its value.
• Provide a description of the strategy and
information on when, where, and how it should be
used.
• Model use of the strategy for students on a text
the class can share.
• Work with students in using the strategy on a text
the class can share.
• Give students opportunities to construct
knowledge.
• Discuss with students how the strategy is working
for them, what they think of it thus far, and when
and how they can use it in the future.
• Guide and support students as they use the
strategy over time. At first, provide a lot of
support. Later, provide less and less.
• Work over time to help students use the newly
learned strategy in various authentic in-school
and out-of-school tasks.
• Review the strategy and further discuss students’
understanding of it and responses to it from time
to time.
From Graves, M.F., Ruda, M., Sales, G.C., & Baumann,
J.F. (2012). Teaching prefixes: Making strong
instruction even stronger. In E.B. Kame’enui & J.F.
Baumann (Eds.), Vocabulary instruction: Research
to practice (2nd ed., pp. 95–115). New York, NY:
Guilford.
Other Shared Book Reading Programs
A number of shared book reading programs
have been developed. Here are three of them.
One of the earliest programs developed was
Dialogic Reading (Whitehurst et al., 1988, 1994;
Zevenbergen & Whitehurst, 2003). This is a
one-to-one picture book shared book reading
technique designed for preschoolers. It can be
used by teachers, teacher aides, other caregivers,
and parents to foster vocabulary development
and language development more generally.
There are two videotapes designed to train
parents and teachers to use dialogic reading
(Read Together, Talk Together [Parent Video],
2002a; [Teacher Training Video], 2002b). Words
in Context (Biemiller, 2001, 2009; Biemiller &
Boote, 2006) is a shared book reading technique
intended for K–2 students. The procedure includes
very direct instruction, more direct than that
provided in some of the other approaches. Also,
Words in Context differs from some of the other
approaches in that vocabulary development is
the sole concern. Text Talk, another (and much
different) shared reading program, was developed
by Beck and McKeown (2007) and is available as
a commercial program (Beck et al., 2005). The
program is particularly strong in providing robust
and interesting instruction.
15
Beck, I.L., & McKeown, M.G. (2007). Increasing young
low-income children’s oral vocabulary repertoires
through rich and focused instruction. Elementary
School Journal, 107(3), 251–271.
Beck, I.L., & McKeown, M.G. (2005). Text talk: Robust
vocabulary instruction for grades K–3. New York, NY:
Scholastic.
Biemiller, A. (2001, Spring). Teaching vocabulary:
Early, direct, and sequential. American Educator,
25(1), 24–28, 47.
Biemiller, A. (2009). Words worth teaching: Closing the
vocabulary gap. Columbus, OH: SRA/McGraw-Hill.
Biemiller, A., & Boote, C. (2006). An effective method
for building meaning vocabulary in primary grades.
Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 44–62.
Whitehurst, G.J., Arnold, D.S., Epstein, J.N., Angell,
A.L., Smith, M., & Fischel, J.E. (1994). A picture
book reading intervention in day care and home for
children from low-income families. Developmental
Psychology, 30(5), 697–689.
Whitehurst, G.J., Falcon, F., Lonigan, C.J., Fischel,
J.E., DeBaryshe, D.B., Valdez-Menchaca, M.C.,
& Caulfield, M. (1988). Accelerating language
development through picture book reading.
Developmental Psychology, 24(4), 552–559.
Zevenbergen, A.A., & Whitehurst, G.J. (2003). Dialogic
reading: A shared picture book reading intervention
for preschoolers. In A.V. Kleeck, S.A. Stahl, & E.B.
Bauer (Eds.), On reading books to children: Parents
and teachers (pp. 170–192). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association
Additional Sources of Information on the Four-Part
Vocabulary Program
Baumann, J.F., & Kame’enui, E.J. (Eds.). (2004).
Vocabulary instruction: Research to practice. New
York, NY: Guilford.
This collection of articles on vocabulary by various
authors uses the four-part framework as an
organizing principle and has sections on Teaching
Specific Vocabulary, Teaching Vocabulary-Learning
Strategies, and Teaching Vocabulary Through Word
Consciousness and Language Play.
Baumann, J., Manyak, P., Blachowicz, C., Graves, M.,
Arner, J., Bates, A.,...Olejnik, S. (2012). MCVIP—A
multi-faceted, comprehensive vocabulary
instruction program. Vocabulogic. Available at
vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/2012/10/mcvip-multifaceted-comprehensive.html
This article describes the MCVIP program, a threeyear research and development that implemented
the four-part vocabulary program in a number of
elementary classrooms and obtained very positive
results.
Blachowicz, C.L.Z., Baumann, J.F., Manyak, P.C., &
Graves, M.F. (2013). “Flood, fast, focus”: Integrated
vocabulary instruction in the classroom [IRA
E-ssentials series]. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association. doi:10.1598/e-ssentials.8027
This IRA E-ssentials article describes additional
aspects of the MCVIP program.
Graves, M.F. (2006). The vocabulary book: Learning and
instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press;
Newark, DE: International Reading Association;
Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
This is the basic book on the four-part program.
Graves, M.F. (Ed.). (2009). Essential readings on
vocabulary instruction. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association.
This is a collection of articles on each of the four
parts of the program by various authors.
Graves, M.F., August, D., & Mancilla-Martinez, J.
(2012). Teaching vocabulary to English language
learners. New York, NY: Teachers College Press;
Newark, DE: International Reading Association;
Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics;
Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of
Other Languages.
This book describes the four-part program adapted
for use with ELLs.
Kame’enui, E.J., & Baumann, J.F. (Eds.). (2012).
Vocabulary instruction: Research to Practice (2nd ed.).
New York, NY: Guilford.
This is an updated edition of the Baumann and
Kame’enui book (2004).
Three Useful Books on Vocabulary Instruction
Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2013).
Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction
(2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.
Beck and her colleagues’ approach is different from
the one presented in this IRA E-ssentials article in
that they give priority to teaching individual words,
stress in-depth instruction, and deal particularly
with literary words.
Blachowicz, C., & Fisher, P.J. (2010). Teaching
vocabulary in all classrooms (4th ed.). Columbus, OH:
Merrill.
Blachowicz and Fisher have created a very practical
book with suggestions for myriad vocabulary. Their
16
book is, as the authors say, “written for preservice
and inservice teachers of all grade levels and in
all content areas who recognize the importance of
vocabulary.”
Stahl, S.A., & Nagy, W. (2006). Teaching word meanings.
Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Stahl and Nagy take a position much like that
presented in this IRA E-ssentials article, but they
have different emphases and come at things in
different ways. One particularly valuable section of
their book is a well-reasoned discussion of the size
of students’ vocabularies.
TEACHING 50,000 WORDS | August 2013 | DOI:10.1598/e-ssentials.8035 | © 2013 International Reading Association